Adjustable chairs



March 8, 1960 P. s. FLETCHER ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1956 INVENTOR. B133? 3 Fi (27%? March 8, 1960 P. s. FLETCHER ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

P k e S. 7% 1 E ADJUSTABLE'CHAIRS Peter S. Fletcher, Boynton Beach, Fla., assignmto Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Application February 9, 1956, Serial No. 564,559

Claims. Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to adjustable chairs andparticularly to those in which the seat and back rest may Patented Mar. 8, 1960 ice , the chair. from its hinge 16, and the link 18 also extends be adjusted between sitting positions and tilted positions I Anobject of the invention is to provide an-improved" adjustable and comfortable chair of thistype which, when the seat and back rest are'adjusted into, their tilted positions, will advance and elevate a leg rest fromanornal, inactive position beneath the 'seat; to a positionin front of said seat, which uses simple, compact and relatively inexpensive linkage for operating the leg rest, and which has approximately the overall dimensions of an ordinary chair. 2

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of two examples of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims. I lathe accompanying drawings:

- Fige l is a side, sectional elevation of a chair con} structed in accordance with the invention, the section being taken fromfront to rear of the chairjustinside the arm nearest the observer, and the chairhaving the seat andback rest in sitting positions; i Fig., 2 is a similar view but with the seat and b ack rest in tilted positions; 1 Y Fig. 2 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the basic linkage employed to support and operate the leg restf- -Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but employing a different linkage to support and position the leg rest;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the seat and I back rest in their tilted positions, and. Fig. 4a is a schematic diagram illustrating the lazy tong linkage employed in Figs. 3Qand 4.

rearwardly from the leg rest at least as far towards the rear of the chair as any of the other links extend rearwardly of the chair. A guiding link 31, normally approximately upright, is pivoted at its upper end by pin 32 to. the support and at its lower end by pin 33 to an intermediate part of the actuating link 8. Theforward end of link 8 is pivoted by pin 34 to an intermediate part of link 10. The four pairs of links form a lazy.

tong. device, one at eachside of the seat, which is supported. at one end by the seat 4 and at its other end supports the leg rest 9. When the back rest is rocked rearwardly into its tilted position, shown in Fig. 2, the actuating links 8 will be moved endwise and forwardly of the chair to .actuate the lazy tong devices to which they are connected, and this will advance and elevate the leg rest 9 to a position in front of the seat 4. When the back rest returns to its upright or sitting position,

shown in Fig. 1, the links 8 will be moved endwise, to

the rear of the chair, and actuate the lazy tong devices back to the retracted positions shown in Fig. 1. When actuating. link 8 was moved forwardly to advance the lazy tong device, guiding link 31 rocked clockwise and causedlink 10.to rise, which because of its connection to..-the seat, caused the forwardpart of the seat to rise.

In the example of'the invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 4a, the chair has the support 1, side arms 2, seat 4,;back rest 5, pivot rod 6, pin 7, actuating links 8 and leg rest 9, as explained in connection with Figs. 1 and -2. ,At each end of the seat there are four pairs of links, the .pairs at each side forming a lazy tong device. Links 35' and 36 (Fig. 4a), which are hinged together at'36',

form the first pair of links, and link 35 is" pivoted by -linkt38 is pivoted by pin '41 to theseat 4. Links 42 In the example of the invention illustrated in Figs.

l, 2 and 2a, the chair includesa supportl havingside arms 2 and a seat 4, and back rest 5 between the .side arms. Theseat is pivoted at its rea'r'part'on a pivot rod 6 carried by the support, and the back-rest isalso pivoted near itslbottom part-on the same'rod ,6. The

back rest depends below the rod 6 and is pivoted atits;

lower end by pin 7 to one end of an actuating link, one at each side of the seat. A set of linkage is provided at each side of the seat for supporting a leg rest 9 that is disposed beneath the forward part of the seat when the seat and back rest are in their sitting positions, as

shown in Fig. 1. I

Each set of linkage includes four or morepairs of links; Links .10 and 11, which are hinged together at 12, form the'first pair of links, and the link 10 of this pair is pivoted by pin 13 to the seat 4. Links 14 and 15, which are hinged together at 16 form the second pair of links, and link 14 is pivoted by pin 17 to the seat. 4. Links 18 and 19, which ar e hinged together at2'0, form a third pair of links, and link 18 is pivoted .by pin 21 to the leg rest 9. The link 19 is pivoted by pin 2210 an end of link 15. 7 Links 23 and 2 4, which are hinged together at 25, form a fourth pair of links, and link 23 is pivoted by pin 26 to the leg rest 9. The link 24 is pivoted by pin 27 toanend of link -11.

The links l'tl'and 15 cross each other, and where they cross they are pivoted together bypin 28. 'lhe links 10 and 18 also cross each other, and where they cross they are pivoted together by pin 29. Links 18. and 24 also cross,.,and where they cross;they;are pivotedtogether by pin 30. The link 15 extends rearwardly of and 43, which are hinged together at 44, form a third 9 pair of links, and link 42 is pivoted, by'a pin 45 to leg rest 9. Links-46 and 47, which are hinged together at 48,- form a-fourth pair of links, and link 46 is pivoted by a pin 49 to the leg rest 9. Ends of links, and 43 are pivotally connected by pin 50, and ends of links 39 and 47 are. pivotally connected by pin.51. The links 35 and 39 cross each other, and at the crossing are pivoted together by pin 52. Links 36 and 47 also cross each other, and at the crossing'are pivoted together by pin 53. Links 42 and 47 cross each other, and at the crossing are-pivoted together by pin 54.

A guiding link at each side of the seat is pivoted at one end by pin 56 to the seat 4 and at its other end by pin 57 to an intermediate part of the adjacent link 35. The forward end of the actuating link 8 is pivoted by pin 52 to the pairs of links at the crossing of links '35 and 39. The leg rest 9 is disposed beneath the forwardpart of the seat 4 when the back rest is in its upright orsitting position, as shown in Fig. 3. When the back rest is rocked re'arwardly into the tilted position shown in Fig. 4, it operates actuating links 8 forwardly jof the chair and causes an advancing operation of the lazy tong devices to advance and elevate leg rest 9 to a 1 position in front of the seat, as shown in Fig. 4. At the same time the link 35, which is pivoted to the support, carries the lazy tong linkage upwardly and through links 38 and 55, raises the forward part of the seat into its tilted position shown in Fig. 4. When the back rest is returned to its upright position shown in Fig. 3, it moves actuating links 8 rearwardly, which operates the lazy tong devices to the retracted positions shown in Fig. 3, during which links 38 and 55 lower the forward part of the seat: The retraction of the lazy tong devices returns the deg rest to the inactive position beneath the forward part of the seat, 'as shown inFig. 3. 

